Purrfectly Reversed
by Sforzie
Summary: A Team Rocket based story that occurs in a world where the Pokemon are people, and the people are Pokemon...
1. Chapter 1

Purrfectly Reversed

Disclaimer: Pokemon is owned by Nintendo and Creatures and Game Freak. This story is weird, yup.

Notes: Shadowcat came up with some of her attacks, such as Whine and Reality Alter. She also came up with the idea for Shadowkitty. :) (More from her about that later!) I know the idea isn't an original one, but its still pretty fun to write!

Purrfectly Reversed

By: Sforzie

Chapter One:

It was a bright and sunny June afternoon in one of the Celadon City parks. Zap and Bones were running around, splashing in the fountains, disturbing necking couples, and causing general mischief. The Pikachu and Cubone landed in a giggling heap at the feet of a tall and disturbed looking Ponyta. Blitz sighed as the two animals contained themselves.

"Come on you guys," Blitz sighed. "What if the Pokemon wake up and see you two goofing off? What'll they think then?"

"The same thing they always think," Zap giggled. "Nothing."

"Yeah!" Bones was stilling rolling with giggles. "Not a thing!"

"You're drunk again," Blitz sighed. "Come on, Rockie is waiting for us."

"Screw Rockie!" Bones shouted. "We're always running off to do whatever he wants. Who made him boss?"

"No one," Blitz said. "Except he's paying you to train his Pokemon, not frolic around the park like a drunken school-girl with your girlfriend."

"School-girl!" Bones said indignantly. "I'm no school-girl! I'm not even a girl!"

"Then quit acting like one!" Blitz gave the Cubone a sharp kick.

"Owww, Zap, Blitz kicked me!"

"What am I supposed to do about it?" Zap said, checking to make sure she had all of her Pokeballs.

"Shock him or something!"

"I'm not going to shock Blitz!" Zap snapped at her boyfriend. "He's got my tram fare."

"Oh. That's right." Bones scratched his forehead and followed the other two animals as they started for the park's exit. "So where are we going?"

"We're meeting Rockie at Professor Bulb's research center, remember?" 

"That's right!" Bones nodded. He cleared his throat as the trio neared the exit. "Hey Ash, Brock, wake up!"

On a hill not too far from the exit, two Pokemon yawned and blinked sleepily. They stretched and then came bounding down across the grass to their trainer.

"Ash! Ash!" 

"Brock-rock!" Both Pokemon swished their tails in happy greeting to the animals.

"You guys want to go see Professor Bulb?" Bones asked. Both Pokemon nodded vigorously. "Good! Then return!"

With a flash of light, the Brock and Ash returned to their Pokeballs.

"Wait until Rockie hears that all his Brock did today was sleep," Zap said with a grin.

"He won't hear if you don't tell him," Bones replied pointedly. Zap shrugged.

  
  


From up in a office building somewhere in Celadon City, a Persian sat before several monitors. On one of the screens a real-time image of Zap, Blitz, and Bones was displayed. On a cushion next to the Persian's chair sat a content looking Shadowcat, her curled grey tail twitching happily as she drew on a little sketchpad.

"Detestable," sneered the Persian to one of the screens. The Shadowcat looked up curiously.

"Cat?" she mewled, uncertain if the Boss was unhappy with her.

"Not you," the Persian said down to his pampered Pokemon, expressing his point by scratching her between her long grey ears.. "It's those brats. Especially that Pikachu and Ponyta. They keep getting in the way of my plans." He drummed his fingers on the desk top. "And that Pikachu... dating a Cubone! Terrible... simply terrible. There's something to be said for staying with your mate. The way the youth of today behave... they mate with some of their own kind, and then go and marry outside of their species! It's wrong! The way they act... they're no better than a flock of Pokemon."

"Dowh!" the Shadowcat spat.

"Oh, not you, Precious," the Persian said in a changed tone. He patted her long blonde mane. "You are a perfect example of a purrrrfect Pokemon." 

"Shaaah," the Shadowcat purred, sinking back onto her cushion. She rested her head at the Persian's feet.

"Yes," the Persian looked down at his Pokemon, smiling as he momentarily forgot the monitors. "As a Shadowkitty you were a grand fighter and artist. Now that you've evolved, you're absolutely perfect." The Shadowcat purred, her tail swishing. 

"If only my agents could steal Pokemon as fine as you. As powerful too." On that thought, he pressed a button on his desk. "Ms. Kans, could you please have Diane and Ross come see me?"

"Yes, sir," the Arbok secretary's voice came through a speaker.

"Good." The Persian took his finger off the button. Down to the Shadowcat he said: "We'll see how they're doing."

  
  


"Professor Bulb, we're here!" Blitz called as he and the others arrived.

"About time," Rockie sighed. "I was thinking you were going to make me listen to that old lizard talk by myself."

"We'd never do that," Zap said.

"I might," Bones whispered. Blitz kicked him again. "Ow!"

"Well, is everyone here?" Professor Bulb called from the next room.

"Yes, they're all here!" Rockie called. The Vulpix waved to his companions, and they followed him to where the old Ivysaur was busy at work.

"So, you've come to hear me talk about Pokemon again, I assume?" Bulb smiled as they stood behind him in a patient line.

"Yes, sir," Blitz nodded.

"Professor, I've got a question," Zap said.

"Ask away," the Ivysaur extended a vine and spun his chair around to face the young animals.

"Well, earlier Bones said that Pokemon never think. Is that true?"

"Do Pokemon think?" Bulb looked thoughtful. "Well I'd most certainly say that they do. If they didn't, how would we be able to teach them new attacks? It takes some amount of thought to be able to remember and comprehend everything we tell them to do."

"True," Bones said. "But they don't seem to think much beyond that."

"Oh, but some are very smart, very clever," Professor Bulb smiled. "Wild Pokemon have to get by without trainers doing everything for them. Some Pokemon have formed large groups and societies. It takes thought to accomplish that."

"Mmm, I guess..."

"But if Pokemon are so smart, then why aren't they the ones catching us?" Rockie asked.

"Oh, I didn't say they were all geniuses," Bulb shook his head. "They're all smart in their own ways. People are Pokemon, and animals are animals. Don't forget that. Even though they might be able to mimic us or learn how to do some animalistic things, people can never be animals. They're below us in the natural order, remember."

"Yeah..."

  
  


Later that afternoon, Zap decided to take a walk by herself. She walked through the forest, three Pokeballs on her hip. Two held her Pokemon-a Jessica and Cass-and the third was empty. After listening to Professor Bulb talk for what seemed like hours, Zap was itching to look for new Pokemon. 

By the time Zap reached the river that divided the forest in half, she was ready to give up for the day. All she'd seen so far were the commoner Pokemon-a group of skittish wild Jamie and James, three or four Erikas, a Giovanni, and a pair of Sabrinas. Zap had thought at trying to catch one of the Sabrinas, but the Pokemon were already occupied in teleporting around a clearing to avoid a Brock that was completely enamored with them. The Brock would jump on a Sabrina, only to have her teleport a few feet away. Zap wanted something neat, something powerful, something...rare.

Zap sat on a log, looking at the river. She imagined that she saw the tail of a rare Kasumi flickering in the current, but she knew that she was being silly. Misty only evolved into Kasumis after a combination of a lot of experience, and a moon stone. And a moon stone was hard to come by. And Kasumis were never, never, never seen in the wild. According to Professor Bulb at least, and Zap was reluctant to go against anything that he said.

So when there was a rustling in the bushes on the other side of the river, and a tall Pokemon stepped out, Zap naturally assumed she was day-dreaming again. There was no way that a wild Jessie would stroll up to the opposite bank like that. Jessies were ultra-rare-in comparison Kasumis were a dime a dozen. Zap had only seen Jessies from their Pokedex entry, and from a few pictures at school. It was believed that Jessies evolved from Jessicas, but nobody had ever seen it happen. Some scientists speculated that Jessie's didn't evolve, but rather they were only born on rare instanced to Jessica's with a strong Jessica bloodline. No one really knew.

And so there, right across the river, crouched one of the rarest Pokemon known to animal! Zap stared in amazement, afraid to move lest she scare the Pokemon away. The Jessie bent over the water, staring at her reflecting before taking a drink.

"Jessie, Jessie, Jessie!" the Pokemon said to herself. She carefully ran a paw through her long red mane, her creamy white ears twitching with satisfaction. "Jessssie!"

"Wow," Zap found herself whispering. The Jessie froze. Zap bit her lip. Had the Pokemon heard her?

"Sssie?" the Jessie leaned back on her haunches, looking around curiously. She turned toward the bushes from where she had emerged. "Jessie, Jessie." Then back to the river. "Jessie?" The Pokemon's blue eyes flashed as she noticed Zap. "Sie!"

"Uh oh," Zap carefully got to her feet. "I can't let this one get away!" The Jessie was moving back toward the bushes. "Hey, stop! I want to challenge you!"

"Jessie?" the red-furred Pokemon stopped and considered the trainer. "Sie!" Her tone was defiant. The Pokemon snorted, a tiny puff of smoke coming from her delicate nose. Zap remembered that Jessicas and Jessies were fire-typed Pokemon.

"I'll fight fire with fire!" Zap decided. "Jessica, go!"

"Jessssssica!" the smaller Pokemon leapt out of her Pokeball. The Jessie considered its opponent. Although smaller, and almost juvenille in appearance, Zap's Jessica was a full grown Pokemon. 

"If I catch this Jessie, I can give Jessica to Zip!" Zap said thoughtfully, referring to her little sister.

"Jessica! Jess!" Jessica's short, fluffy red tail shook eagerly at she sized up the Jessie. The Jessie was crouching, her toes sunk into the mud on the edge of the river.

"Jessica, flamethrower!"

"Jesssss!" Jessica spat out a wave of fire across the river, which steamed in response. 

"Sssie!" the Jessie met Jessica's flamethrower with her own line of fire. 

"Jessica, tackle attack!"

"Ca!" Jessica leapt across the river, her feet hitting the water and splashing her opponent as she slammed into it.

"Jessie!" the Jessie snarled, rolling into the river. She bounded up to her feet, knee deep in water.

"She should be weakened by water!" Zap cried. "Jessica, mallet now!"

"Caaaah!" Jessica pulled a large mallet out of the air, and slammed in on the Jessie's head.

"Sie!" the Jessie went face-down in the water.

"All right!" Zap reached for her spare pokeball.

"Cah!" Jessica hopped up and down victoriously.

"JESSIE!" the Jessie sprayed both Pokemon and trainer with water as she launched herself out of the water and tackled Jessica. Both Pokemon struggled angrily for a moment, and Jessica ended up on top with the Jessie firmly pinned.

"Jessie! Jessie! Jessie! Sie sie! Jessie Jessie Jessie! Siesie! JessieJessieJessie!" the Jessie kicked and screamed angrily, trying to get away.

"Wow, that Jessie has a better Bitching Rage attack than even Jessica!" Zap looked on in surprise. The Jessie's face was almost as red as her hair. "Jessica, finish off that Jessie! Double-slap, now!"

"Cah! Cah! Cah! Cah!" Jessica slapped the screaming Jessie until her eyes spun. The wild Pokemon went limp and fainted. Jessica jumped back across the river, standing proudly next to her trainer.

"Good work, Jessica!" Zap grinned. "Pokeball, go!" Zap through her pokeball at the downed Jessie. It landed on her still-red forehead, and popped open. The Jessie was sucked into the ball in a brilliant flash of red and gold light, and then snapped shut. After a moment of shaking, the ball lay still.

"All right!" Zap jumped across the water and picked up the Pokeball. "Wait till the others hear about this!"

"Jess, Jessica!" Jessica echoed happily, giving her trainer a victory sign.

"Good girl! Jessica, return!" Zap called back her other fiery Pokemon, and started off home.

"Good afternoon sir," Diane and Ross greeted the Boss of Team Rocket. The Persian smiled, his Shadowcat curled at his feet.

"Diane, Ross, do you know why I've called for you?"

"To check up on us, sir?" the Lickitung said uncertainly.

"Yes. Have you stolen any valuable Pokemon lately?"

"A Kasumi and a Duplica," Ross, the Marowak at Diane's left reported.

"Mmm, good work for just a few days," the Persian decided.

"Thank you sir."

"Mmm. I've heard reports lately that a Jessie has been spotted in the woods around Celadon City recently. As you know, Jessies are very rare, and very valuable. I want you two to find that Jessie and bring it back to me."

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. You're dismissed."

The Marowak and Lickitung quickly left their Boss's office. Ross's Pokemon, a rare Otoshi, was waiting patiently for them

"Ross, what if there isn't a Jessie out in the woods?" Diana asked uncertainly as Ross called his Pokemon back.

"There will be," Ross said, sounding determined.

After Diane and Ross left, the Persian took his Shadowcat upstairs to one of the battle floors.

"I hope you feel like practicing today, Precious," the Persian said.

"Shaaadowcat," purred 'Precious'. She swished her tail, sitting on one of the marks within a small ring.

"Good. I know that after you evolved you're supposed to be able to learn your strongest attack," the Persian said thoughtfully, holding a Pokeball. "The Nurse Chansey we have working for us says that your up to level 43, and Shadowcats learn Reality Alter at level 40. That right?"

"Cat!" Shadowcat nodded eagerly.

"Good, we'll see how this works." The Persian threw the Pokeball he'd been holding. "Satoshi, go!"

"Saaaaatoshi!" the mussy-furred Pokemon jumped to the opposite side of the ring. It was the evolved form of an Ash, and a fighting type.

"Satoshi, mega kick!"

"Toooshi!" Satoshi leapt into the air, kicking Shadowcat in the shoulder and knocking her down. Shadowcat sat up, looking dazed for a moment.

"Cat!" Shadowcat's eyes watered, and then flashed red. "Shaaaaa! Shaaaaa! Dooooh! Shaaaaaaa!" Shadowcat launched loudly into a powerful whine attack. Then she switched into mega fit. "Cat! Cat! Cat! CatCatCat!" Pounding her fists on her knees, Shadowcat began to glow as her attack increased. "Cat!" An unseen blast of energy knocked Satoshi off of his feet. Shadowcat sighed and quickly calmed down.

Satoshi got to his feet, but Shadowcat remained sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"Shadowcat, Reality Alter!" the Persian stood what he felt was a safe distance behind his Pokemon. 

"Shadow-caat!" Out of no-where, Shadowcat pulled a piece of paper and a long quilled pen. She began to scribble on the paper, unreadable signs appearing. Across the ring, Satoshi suddenly began to glow.

"Toohshi?" Satoshi flailed his arms, although it was apparent that he wasn't making them flail. Then, the Pokemon sunk to his knees, went blue in the face, and hit the floor.

"Shadowcat!"

"Cat?" she looked innocently at the Persian.

"I know you never liked Satoshi, but you weren't supposed to kill him."

"Shaaadowcat," she scribbled something else, and a little halo and wings appears on the fallen Satoshi.

"That isn't funny."

"Shadow." The paper began to fade away. As the paper disappeared, Satoshi coughed and sat up. The angel-gear was gone.

"Hmm, so it isn't permanent yet," the Persian said thoughtfully.

"Shadowcat!" the Pokemon hurled her quill at the Satoshi, striking him on the forehead. With a soft moan, Satoshi fainted.

"Nice finish, but I didn't tell you to use Quill Drill," the Persian chided his favorite Pokemon. Shadowcat swished her tail happily. "Return, Satoshi!"

The Persian considered Shadowcat thoughtfully. "Your Reality Alter attack isn't permanent yet. We'll have to continue to train."

"Shadow," she purred in agreement.

"And then one day, when your attack is fully powered, Team Rocket will make things they way we want them to be, and I will rule the world!"

"Shadow!" 

"Yes, and you will rule with me, my favorite Pokemon."

A purr and evil laugh echoed throughout Team Rocket Headquarters.

"I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was," Zap hummed as she approached her house. Zap lived with her 9 younger siblings and her parents, in a small town just a few miles from Celadon City.

"Zap! Zap! Where's Bones? Where'd you go today? Did you see Blitz? Did Professor Bulb show you his scar? Did you bring us anything? Did you see any Pokemon?" Zap skillfully dodged the group of little Pikachus that crowded around her as she entered the front yard. She made her way over to the only quiet sibling in the bunch.

"Hiya Zip, did you have a good day?"

Zip was sulking. "I guess."

Zap sat on the step next to her little sister. "What's wrong?"

"Momma yelled at her again," Jolt, a younger brother, said.

"She yelled at you, not Zip!" Bolt, Jolt's twin, insisted.

"Oh, don't be so blue, Zip," Zap patted her sister on the shoulder. "Hey, I caught a new Pokemon today, do you want to see it?"

"I guess."

Zap, Zip, and most of their younger siblings went out to the backyard.

"Jessie, go!" Zap released her new Pokemon.

"Sssie!" Jessie hissed as she appeared in the grass. All of Zap's siblings tried to hide behind her. "Jessie?"

"Wow, a Jessie!" Bolt squealed. "They're really rare!"

"Super rare!" Jolt added.

"Mega super duper rare!"

"Alright, I got the point," Zap stopped Jolt from retaliating. "I caught her at the river."

"She's pretty," Zip said.

"Jessie!" the Pokemon was sitting now.

"You know what, Zip," Zap turned to her sister.

"What?"

"I'm going to give you my Jessica, since I have Jessie now."

Zip looked surprised and happy. "Really?!"

"Yep. Momma and Dadda said that you were old enough to start training Pokemon."

"Wow, thanks so much!" Zip looked ready to cry as she took the Pokeball from Zap.

"Diane, I'm tired of walking," Ross whined.

"We're not walking," Diane pointed out. They were both being carried by Ross' Otoshi--Ross on his shoulders, Diane in his arms.

"You know what I mean," Ross sighed. "We've been looking all day today and yesterday for that Jessie. We must have covered this forest twice over. I'm bored."

"You'll be even more bored if the Boss fires us," she said.

"Maybe. And maybe there really isn't a Jessie within a hundred miles of this forest," Ross tapped his Pokemon's shoulder, signaling him to stop.

"Quit being so negative."

"I'm not being negative."

The Lickitung sighed, her tongue hanging out as she thought. "Maybe we should stick to the river more when we look."

"We tried that," he said. Diane drew her tongue back in.

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Maybe..." Ross looked around. "Maybe we should go get something to eat. We'll search better on full stomachs."

"Hmm... maybe you're right."

"Rachael! You made it!" Zap hugged her cousin hello.

"Of course I did," the Raichu grinned. She fished through her purse. "Look."

Zap and Rachael went up to Zap's room, as the Pikachu studied the paper. "You got your liscence?"

"That's right, I passed all the tests," Rachael was still grinning. "I'm an official Pokemon breeder now. Got my Butch certified by the PBA too."

Jessie was laying on Zap's bed, dozing. 

"Wow, your Jessie is even better looking than you said on the phone," Rachael said. She patted the Jessie between her long white ears. Noting the pinkish tint of the Jessie's otherwise pale skin, Rachael added: "She's got good coloring too."

"Yep."

Jessie's big blue eyes popped open when Rachael accidentally touched one of her ears, but she didn't move. "She seems pretty docile."

"On her own, yes," Zap sighed. "But she's been trying to tear my Cass to shreds. I've had to send them to the Pokecenter twice already."

"Oh, a fighter then," Rachael smiled. "She'd be great for breeding, you know that?"

"I thought so," Zap nodded. "And I can think of just the animal to do it."

"Oh, who?" the Raichu giggled.

"A certain Raichu comes to mind," Zap said, looking thoughtfully at Jessie. 

"With a strong fire-grass cross like that, she'd be likely to lay a good fire type," Rachael said knowingly. "Probably either a Jessica or Blaine."

"Not a Jessie?"

"No, I don't think so." Raichu looked at her licsence. "My Butch doesn't have much Jessica in his bloodlines."

"Oh." Zap brightened. "A Blaine would be cool. I've never seen one of those."

"They seem to age quickly, in appearance. But they've got a strong fire blast."

"Mmm," Zap watched as Jessie stretched, yawning, and then resumed dozing.

"So, you want to give it a try?"

"It couldn't hurt," Zap said. "How long will it take?"

"If he, ah, gets it right the first time, probably not more than two days." The Raichu scratched her chin thoughtfully. "She'd be able to fight through the whole thing. Lay the egg within two weeks."

"If she can still fight, I'm all for it," Zap grinned. "How about it, Jessie, you want to be a mommy?"

The Jessie snored softly in reply.

"Shaaadowcatt! Shaaadowcat!" the Persian's Shadowcat was yowling when he returned from a meeting. She held her bowl and shook it insistently.

"Keep your cloak on," the Persian sighed. "I brought lunch."

"Cat!" Shadowcat sat obediently. The Persian took her bowl and opened one of the boxes he had brought. He scooped out a generous helping of pasta and cheese and then set the bowl back down on the floor. "Caaaaaht!" The Pokemon purred as she dove into her food.

"You eat enough to feed a whole pack of Jamies," the Persian said. 

"Nyaaa," Shadowcat briefly stuck her tongue out at him, and then resumed eating.

"But you're so cute, it's hard not to give you what you want," he added. Shadowcat swished her tail and picked up her bowl.

"Caat?"

"Except seconds."

The Shadowcat sighed and went over to one of the windows. The Persian picked up his cell phone and dialed a few numbers.

"Celedon City Gym, Monet speaking."

"Yes, this is Mr. Persian."

"Oh," the Oddish sounded oddly fearful. "Wait a second, I'll get Blue."

There was a pause, and then another voice spoke. "This is Blue, Mr. Persian."

"Yes, I was wondering if you've gotten your delivery from the Viridian City Gym yet."

"Yes, we have," the Gloom replied. "It was most useful in getting rid of our problem." They both chuckled.

"Nida was quite glad to get rid of them too," the Persian said.

"Yes, getting rid of those who would oppose us is most beneficial for the Team," Blue agreed. "But how much longer will we have to wait?"

"Not much longer," the Persian said, eyeing Shadowcat from across the room. "No, not much longer."

"I'll bring her back in a few days," Rachael promised.

"Good, I'm looking forward to it," Zap watched her cousin depart. 

The Raichu hadn't even reached the end of the driveway, when she was suddenly knocked off her feet by the force of a Pokeball jerking off of her belt. It snapped open, and out came Jessie. The Pokemon was snarling and stamping her feet.

"Jessie!" Zap called in alarm. "What are you doing?"

"Jessie! Jessie! Jessie!" She turned to Rachael and launched a powerful flamethrower attack. The Raichu covered her face, screaming. "Ssssssie!" Jessie stomped her foot again, smoke trailing from her nostrils.

"Cass, go!" Zap through her other Pokeball.

"Cassss!" the orange-blonde Pokemon snarled at Jessie as she appeared a few feet away. Jessie turned away from Rachael.

"Ssssie!" Jessie growled. As was usual, they began fighting--mostly clawing at each other, pulling fur, and screeching.

"Cat fight," Rachael sighed as she got to her feet.

"Cass!" Cass zapped Jessie.

"Jessie!" Jessie scorched Cass.

It continued like this for several minutes, until the much shorter Cass had Jessie in a head-lock.

"Casssss!"

"Sssie!" Flailing around, Jessie managed to grab ahold of the puff of hair at the end of Cass's mane, and flung her several feet away.

"Cass..." Cass crouched, her little tail swishing back and forth. Suddenly, she began to glow. "Casssss...idy!"

"Wow, she evolved!" Zap squealed happily.

"Cassidy, cassidy, cass!" the newly evolved Cassidy snarled at Jessie, who blinked in surprise. Cassidy's long yellow-orange tail switched back and forth a few times, and then she leapt at Jessie. 

"Sssie!" Jessie screamed in pain as Cassidy's electrically charged nails slashed across her face. Cassidy kicked Jessie in the jaw, and leapt back several feet.

"Cassidy, cass!" Cassidy slashed her nails in the air a few times. Jessie whimpered, sinking to her knees and holding her face. It sounded like she was hysterically crying. 

"Jessie, Jessie, Jessie!"

Cassidy tensed, readying herself to jump at Jessie again. "Cassidy, no!" Zap cried.

"Ssssidy!" Cassidy leapt through the air, but just before hitting Jessie again she was intercepted by an odd blue blur. Cassidy was knocked several yards away.

"What's that?!" Rachael cried in alarm.

"Jamie!" a purple-bluish maned Pokemon, about a foot and a half shorter than Jessie, stood protectively in front of the red haired Pokemon. "Jamie! Jamiieeeee!" 

"Where'd that Jamie come from?" Zap wondered. "They're usually incredibly cowardly and never attack unprovoked."

"Mie!" the Jamie stuck his tongue out at Zap.

"Jessie! Jessie!" Jessie squealed happily and lifted the Jamie several inches off the ground as she hugged him.

"Jamie! Mie!" the Jamie gave Zap's Jessie a kiss on the cheek. Jessie giggled, setting him down.

"Cassssssidy...." Cassidy growled as she got to her feet. 

"I think that Jamie knows your Jessie," Rachael said. "But it's still odd for him to try and protect Jessie, when she's obviously much stronger than him."

"Miiiiie!" the Jamie knocked Cassidy back off her feet with a powerful blast of water.

"Cassidy!" the Pokemon was clearly pissed. She attempted to shock the Jamie, but since she was drenched from his attack, she only suceeded in zapping herself. "CASSSSSSSSIDY!" The air crackled as she screamed. The Jamie yelped, hugging Jessie for protection. Jessie glowered at Cassidy, her nose smoking again.

"Zap, do something!" Rachael hissed at her cousin.

"Right!" Zap pulled out one of her Pokeballs. "Cassidy, return!" Kicking and screeching, Cassidy returned to her Pokeball. The Jamie remained clinging to Jessie. "Jessie return!" 

"Sie!" Jessie knocked the Pokeball away with her tail.

"Uh oh."

Jessie and the Jamie began to run for the edge of the woods. "Rachael, help me!" 

"Butch, go!" Rachael threw her pokeball, and the tall green-haired Pokemon appeared.

"Buuuutch!" 

"Butch, stop that Jessie from escaping!"

"Butch!" Butch ran after the fleeing Pokemon.

"Sie!" Jessie stopped dead in her tracks and whirled around to face Butch. She used her flamethrower attack on Butch.

"Butch!" he coughed, but continued chasing. Jessie stood her ground, and when Butch came within range she kicked him squarely between the legs. "Buuuuu..." He squeaked in pain and hit the ground in a faint.

"Oh no, Butch!" the Raichu ran up to her Pokemon.

"Jessie, please don't run away!" Zap ran past Rachael and Butch. But Jessie and the Jamie had already made it to the treeline and disappeared. "Rachael, Jessie got away!"

"I noticed," Rachael said sourly as she called back Butch.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Just let her go," Rachael said.

"I can't do that!" Zap cried in distress. "I only have Cassidy now! I need my Jessie!"

"She's too powerful, Zap!" Rachael shouted. "You'll only get hurt if you try to get her back."

"I have to try, Zap said stubbornly, and started for the forest.

"Oooh, wait for me, Zap!"

End Chapter One

Will Zap and Rachael be able to find Jessie? Or will Diane and Ross get to her first? And what will become of the Persian and his powerful Shadowcat? Will the opposition raise against Team Rocket? And what did Bones, Blitz, and Rockie have to do with anything? You're gonna have to email me and encourage me to write to find out! (Ha! I'm evil.)


	2. Chapter 2

Purrfectly Reversed: Chapter 2

Purrfectly Reversed

Chapter Two

"Oooh, I'm never going to be clean again!" Diane whined as another tree branch smacked her in the face. "Ross, can't you tell your stupid Pokemon to stop the branches before they hit me?!"

"Toshi!"

"He isn't stupid, Diane, he's doing the best he can," Ross said from up on the Pokemon's shoulder. "He can't stop anything if he's carrying you."

"Then I'll walk!" Diane stuck her tongue out, but did nothing. "Oh, Ross, this is going nowhere!"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember Arbie and Wheezer?" Diane looked up at her partner unhappily. "They spent almost a year trying to steal an Ash from its trainer. Do you remember what happened after that?"

"The Pokemon was dead before they ever managed to catch it," Ross said. "Got caught in a rock slide that they accidentally set off."

"That's right."

"What does that have to do with us, Diane?"

"Well, what if we spent all this time looking for that Jessie, when she's already been caught by some trainer?"

"Then we'll just steal her from the trainer!" Ross sighed as his partner's incompetence. Diane sighed and muttered something to herself. "And anyway, it's only been a week."

"Well it's not like she going to just walk right up to us!"

Shadowcat lay on a couch in the Persian's office. She was cat-napping while her owner was out, and making little contented noises as she slept. Aside from her, the office was empty.

At least, that's what the security cameras had shown. Now, the Persian noted as he looked around the office, aside from him the room was completely devoid of other life.

"Shadowcat?" the Persian checked all of his Pokemon's favorite hiding spots for the third time. "Shadowcat?!"

She was gone! His purrfectly wonderful Pokemon had vanished!

"Security, come in here," he said, pushing a button on his desk.

"Yes sir?" the two security guards entered quickly.

"Have you seen my Shadowcat this afternoon?" the Persian was looking under his desk.

"No sir."

"Well.. I want this whole building searched. Check the security tapes. Just find her!"

"Yes sir!"

The Persian sat as his desk and looked around the room sadly. Without his Shadowcat, how would he rule the world? And worse yet, who would he talk to without sounding completely insane?"

"I want my kitty," the Persian sighed, and put his head down on the desk.

"Zap, I'm tired of following you, trying to find that stupid Pokemon of yours."

"Then go back home," Zap said, staying a few paces ahead of her cousin.

"What makes you think we're going the right way, anyway?" Rachael wondered.

"This is the way we saw them go, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, but they could have went anywhere by now!" Rachael sighed as Zap shrugged. "We've been looking for days, Zap!"

"No, I've been looking for days. You've spent them whining," Zap stopped and turned to face her cousin. "You didn't have to come with me."

"Someone has to make sure you don't get hurt," Rachael pointed out.

"I have my Cassidy," Zap said. "And besides, you're proving to be more annoying than helpful."

"Is that so?"

"Yes!"

"Well, fine! I don't have to help you find that stupid Pokemon. I'm going home!" Rachael turned around and began to stomp off in the direction that she and Zap had come from.

"Rachael!" Zap looked on in disbelief. "You're not going to leave me out here, are you?"

"You have your _Cassidy_," Rachael called mockingly. "You'll be _fine_!"

"Aw, c'mon! I'll get lost!"

"You should have thought of that before you called me an annoying whiner!"

"Well, that's what you are!"

"There you go again! Find your Jessie on your own!"

"No! Stop, Rachael! I promise I won't--" Zap's protests were cut off as the ground around them began to shake. Rachael stopped and turned back toward her cousin. The shaking of the ground was accompianied by a thunderous noise as the trees began to bend from some unseen wind.

"What is it?!" Rachael shouted. Zap shook her head in confusion. The noise increased, and a massive shadow passed over the forest. Both of the animals fell to the ground and held their ears as the shapes of a fleet of black heliocopters passed over their heads. After they had gone and the scenery had returned to normal, Zap ran over to Rachael.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Rachael was looking up into the air. "What was that? Why would there be all those heliocopters over the forest?"

"I don't know..."

"Ah, this is the life," Diane sighed as she sank back into the plush seat of one of the Team Rocket heliocopters.

"Don't get too comfortable," the Pidgey pilot said. "We'll be back to headquarters soon."

"I don't get it, why would the Boss send a fleet of choppers out to pick us up?" Ross was adjusting his seatbelt. "We're already on a mission."

"It's his kitty," the Pidgey said.

"His kitty?"

"The Boss's Pokemon, a Shadowcat."

"Oh," Ross blinked. "That kitty."

"What's wrong with his Shadowcat?" Diane wondered.

"She's been cat-napped," the pilot replied, keeping in formation with the rest of the fleet.

"What? Why would anyone do that?"

"Because it's a very powerful Pokemon," the Pidgey said.

"I still don't see why all the choppers," Ross said.

"For security," the Pidgey squinted at Ross. "Our aircraft have been under an unusual amount of attack lately, most likely by the Opposition."

Diane's tongue hung out. "Why us?"

"Don't know," the pilot shrugged. "But you should see the Boss, he's really distraught about this."

"Then why would we want to see him?" Ross smirked.

"He says that the Shadowcat is important to his plans of world domination."

"Was he drunk?"

"Jessie, Jessie, Jessie?"

"Jaaaaamie!"

"Sie."

The two Pokemon sat up in a tree, watching the events of the day. Zap and Rachael had only been a few dozen yard away when the group of heliocopters had passed overhead. The choppers had went low over the forest, stopped about half a mile away, and then turned back around.

"They picked something up," Jessie said.

"So?" Jamie scratched his long purple ear and look unconcerned. "What does that have to do with us?"

"It was the black birds again, Jamie," Jessie jessied to her companion. Jamie's eyes were low, watching Zap and Rachael heading in a reversed direction.

"I know," he whispered. "But can't we just ignore them?"

"Jamie, what if they're up to their old tricks?" Jessie hissed at him. "What if they're gonna hurt more Pokemon?"

"They'd do that anyway," he replied glumly.

"But still..."

"Jessie, please," Jamie took her hand and looked at her pleadingly. "I don't want to go back there. Don't get involved. We're just Pokemon, we can't do anything to change the past."

"I know, but..." Jessie's eyes watered. "But I miss them..."

"So do I, Jessie, but we can't fight Team Rocket. It won't do any good. You remember what happened to us."

"I...I..." Jessie's body shook with a sob, and she launched herself down out of the tree. "I don't care, I have to stop them!"

"Jessie, no!" Jamie watched her run in the direction the animals had went. "Wait for me!"

"Sir, Diane and Ross have arrived," Ms. Kans' voice came through the intercom.

"I heard the choppers," the Persian muttered. "Send them in."

"Yes, sir."

After a pause, the doors to the Persian's office opened, and Diane and Ross entered.

"You wanted to see us?"

"I thought I made that obvious," the Persian snapped at the underlings. "Now, I'd hoped that Mr. Pidgie would explain the situation on the way here."

"Well, to a point, sir," Diane said evenly. "But we're still not quite clear on why you're going to such dramatic measures to find a Pokemon."

"It's not just any Pokemon!" the Persian shouted. Ross flinched. "Don't you have any idea of what Shadowcat's are capable of?"

"Um, drawing and looking good, sir?" Ross whispered meekly. This brought a small smile from the Boss.

"At first, yes, that is all they're good for," the Persian said. He stood, going around the desk and holding a remote control. He used it to turn on a tv behind them. "But as a Shadowcat gains experience, it gains some very strong attacks. Observe."

Diane and Ross sat as the Boss started a tape. The first thing to appear was a tall Pokemon with long grey ears and a blonde tail and mane. The underlings recognized the background as being one of the upstairs training arenas. Opposite the Shadowcat by a few yards was an equally tall Pokemon with squinty eyes and a spiky brown mane. The Brock was snarling and looked like it hadn't been fed in two weeks.

"They're not going to fight, are they?" Ross whispered. "She doesn't have a chance!"

On the tape, the Brock stomped his foot impatiently. "Brrrrock!"

Shadowcat was calm, her stare somewhat unfixed and vacant. She inspected her nails. "Cat." On the sidelines between them stood the Persian.

"Brock, tackle, now!" the Persian shouted. "Shadowcat, counterattack!"

"Brrrock!" the Brock leapt at Shadowcat, knocking her to the ground. 

"Sssssh!" Shadowcat quickly bounced back to her feet and slashed her nails repeatedly across the Brock's face. He, being a rock type Pokemon, wasn't affected. Blonde and brown tails twitching, the two Pokemon circled each other for a moment. The screen froze for a moment, and displayed a set of stats on each Pokemon. The Brock was at level 34, and the Shadowcat was at level 49. The fight resumed. The Brock tackled the Shadowcat several times, and she used varying attacks to little avail.

After several minutes the Shadowcat was sitting on the floor, holding her tail and looking at the Brock accusingly. He was standing, arms crossed and looking smug.

"I told you this fight wasn't evenly matched," Ross whispered to Diane. She shrugged.

"Shadowcat, Reality Alter now!" the Persian on the screen shouted.

"Shadowcat!" her eyes flashed bright red, and out of nowhere the Shadowcat pulled out a long quilled pen. "Shaaadow!" The pen hovered between the Pokemon's hands, glowing red. She took it in her hand, and the glow diminished.

"Brock..." he shifted uncertainly on his feet. 

"Shadowcat, Shadowcat!" Slicing the pen through the air, the Pokemon seemed to be writing on air, instead of paper.

"Tackle again, Brock."

"Brock!" the Brock leapt through the air, but just before striking Shadowcat, she pointed the tip of the pen at him. He froze, going completely stiff. His skin turned grey, and after a few seconds, the Brock had completely turned to stone.

The Persian applauded. "Very nice, my pet."

"Shadowcat!" the Pokemon purred. The pen disappeared. The Brock remained frozen in stone.

"She turned the Brock into a rock?" Diane said in disbelief. 

"Just watch," the Persian said, fast forwarding the tape. Nearly half an hour passed on the counter, and then he resumed play. The Persian was standing, holding a stopwatch and watching the Brock. Shadowcat was asleep on the floor. After a moment, the Brock seemed to melt, his color returning. He sank to the floor, unable to stand.

"Wow."

The Persian stopped the tape, returning to his desk. "As you can see, my Shadowcat has learned the attack called 'Reality Alter'. It's the strongest attack that a Shadowcat can learn. Since most of her type are kept as pets, they are never raised to their full potential, and don't learn anything past 'Quill Drill'." The Persian looked sad, staring a picture on his desk. "In fact, for a long time, most trainers have believed that 'Reality Alter' had been bred out of their species. But I taught her it. And as her level raises, the attack becomes more permanent."

"More permanent, sir?" 

"Yes," he nodded. "Reality Alter allows her to change the fabric of reality to her liking. Being loyal, the Shadowcat will alter reality into whatever her trainer commands. The higher her level, the longer the effects of the attack last. Eventually, when she reaches a high enough level, my Shadowcat will be able to permanently change things."

"That's awfully powerful," Diane said. The Persian nodded.

"Yes. And I'm afraid that that's why the Opposition has taken my Shadowcat," the Persian said. His eyes got big and teary. "I want my kitty!"

"We'll get her back, sir."

"So, now we're not looking for your Jessie anymore?" Rachael said as they made their way back to Celaville.

"Not right now."

"I can't believe we wasted all this time!" Rachael snapped. "I could've been at home--"

"Doing what?" Zap snapped.

"Uh, I..." the Raichu shrugged. "I dunno. Anything is more productive than this."

Zap sighed. "Maybe you're right. I'll probably never see my Jessie again."

"Jessie, Jessie, Jessie!"

"Huh?" Zap and Rachael looked behind them, just in time to be knocked aside by two Pokemon.

"Rachael, that was my Jessie!"

"How can you tell?" Rachael moaned as she got to her feet.

"She was being followed by a Jamie!"

"I guess so," the Raichu rubbed her chin. "I wonder where they're heading off to so fast."

"We have to follow them!" Zap cried.

With a sigh, Rachael ran off after her cousin. "I had a feeling that that was coming."

The Pikachu and Raichu were able to keep up with the Pokemon for awhile, but eventually the Jessie and Jamie's longer legs were letting them get too far ahead. So Zap called out her Cassidy and Rachael called out her Butch. They were able to follow for several hours, until the Jessie and Jamie headed straight into Celadon City's downtown business district.

"What are they doing here?" Rachael wondered.

"Maybe they want to trade stocks," Zap suggested. Her cousin snorted. 

"They wouldn't have come all this way for no reason."

Zap and Rachael recalled their Pokemon, and went up to where Jessie and the Jamie had stopped. They were standing, staring at the sign next to the doors of a very tall office building. The doors were black and highly reflective. In neat red lettering were embossed the words "PersCo" and in smaller lettering "Manufacturers of Fine Rocket Technologies." The sign next to the door said "PersCo", with the R unusually large and red.

Jessie growled.

The room was dimly lit, but not very cold. Lines of cages, most of them empty, filled the walls as far as the eye could see. In some cages were Pokemon. Some Pokemon had been given blankets or pillows, but others hadn't.

Shadowcat blinked and took this in uneasily. She had no idea where she was, although it vaguely remind her of the rooms where Team Rocket kept its stolen Pokemon. Of course, those rooms had much better lighting and temperature control, and the cages were larger. The Boss believed that if a stolen Pokemon was treated nicely, there was a much higher chance of it cooperating later on. Apparently these kidnappers didn't want any cooperation.

The Pokemon wondered, though, how she had gotten in here. The last thing she really remembered was taking a nap while her Master was away doing business type things. And now she was here, alone.

Shadowcat sighed. She missed the Persian.

"What are you in for?" a gigglish voice called through the semi-darkness. Shadowcat looked around in surprise, noticing for the first time that there was a Pokemon in the cage next to hers.

"Excuse me?"

"Nevermind," the other Pokemon sighed. It was similar to Shadowcat in appearance, although where Shadowcat had grey ears and faintly grey skin, the other Pokemon's was a very pale white. Its eyes were also brown instead of blue. "I must've done something good, they haven't put anyone around me for a long time."

"I--where are we?"

"Op post 5," the Pokemon said keenly. "Fire division."

"We're not fire type Pokemon," Shadowcat pointed out. She was eyeing the frightening amount of bruises and small cuts on the Pokemon's left arm.

"Yeah, but the animals running this place are mostly fire types," the Sforzando said. She noted Shadowcat's stare. "Oh, don't worry. Those are just from the shots they give me."

"Shots?"

"Yeah, they're doing all kinds of weird experiments on me," she said, seeming fairly proud of this. 

"Oh... how long have I been here?"

"About fourteen hours," the Sforzando said. "Based on the clock down there."

"You can tell time?"

"Of course! Can't you?"

"No..." Shadowcat shook her head, blushing. "But I can draw."

"That's what your type does."

"Oh, yeah." Shadowcat sighed and sat back down in her cafe. Aside from minor differences in appearance, Shadowcats and Sforzandos were quite different in type. A Shadowcat's attacks were mostly either physical or of the phychic variety. A Sforzando was believed to have the highest intelligence rating of any type of Pokemon, and was one of two types that could be taught how to talk. (The other, the Blaine, could also be taught but it was believed that he didn't really understand what he was saying, and would usually speak in riddles.) Sforzandos relied mostly on their ablity to predict what their opponents were going to do, and use the proper physical attack to counteract it. It was believed by some that Sforzandos could evolve into Sforzis, gaining pyschic attacks similar in strength to the Shadowcat's. An actual Sforzi had not been seen in over a hundred years, and was mostly believed to be a myth. Sforzandos on their own were fairly rare.

"So, where'd you come from?" the Sforzando asked.

"Team Rocket."

The Sforzando nodded. "Ah, that makes sense. The Opposition has been stealing a lot of Pokemon from Team Rocket lately. I think they're going to try to do something big, pretty soon."

"But why would they want me? I'm just a Shadowcat."

"Hmm," Sforzando learned closer and looked at the tag on Shadowcat's cage. "Something about 'Real Alter'?"

"My Reality Alter?" Shadowcat blinked. "Why would they steal me for that?"

"It's a powerful attack."

"Yeah, but I can't do it without the Persian," Shadowcat sighed.

"The Persian? Your trainer was the Boss?" Shadowcat nodded. "Wow. I'm impressed. Now it makes more sense."

"It does?"

"Yup. The Boss wants to use your Reality Alter to become more powerful. The Opposition stole you to prevent that from happening, and in hopes of maybe getting you to use the attack for them."

"I won't! I can't!" Shadowcat's tail twitched angrily. "I'd never hurt the Persian! He's always nice to me!"

The Sforzando studied Shadowcat with a thoughtful look. She was about to speak, when footsteps were heard at the far end of the room. She hunkered down, and put a finger to her lips, motioning for Shadowcat to be quiet and mimic her actions. 

Shadowcat sat, waiting anxiously as the footsteps grew closer. Two animals were approaching--both on four legs. A few feet from the Sforzando's cage, the animals stopped.

"That's the one."

End Chapter Two

What will happen to Shadowcat? Will the Boss ever get her back? Will Diane and Ross come to the rescue? And what do the Jessie and Jamie want with Team Rocket? More to come, but only if you email me and ask nicely! (Still evil.)


	3. Chapter 3

Purrfectly Reversed: Chapter 3

Purrfectly Reversed

Chapter Three

_It had been a bright and sunny day in the forest. The group of Jamie and Jessica had been frolicking happily, enjoying the break in the recent rainy weather. She had been a Jessica then, unevolved just like Jamie. The group was led by her mother, a Jessica; and Jamie's father, a James. There had been twenty of them in total, all happy and peaceful._

_But then the animals had come. They had descended in a group of helicopters, Kadabras and Raichus wearing uniforms with bright red R's on their fronts. The Jamie and Jessica's attacks had been useless during the surprise attack, and all the Pokemon were captured. They had been taken back to Team Rocket's massive headquarters in Celadon City._

_One by one, they had all be experimented on. And one by one, they died. After a few weeks, only she and Jamie were left. It had been morning, she remembered. During the night, the animals had come and taken Jamie's father out of his cage. He had died during the night... That morning, they had taken her. She still remembered Jamie's frightened screams as she was dragged away._

_"Don't take her! No! She's all I have left..."_

_Somehow, she couldn't remember how, they had forced her to evolve. And somehow, he never explained it to her, Jamie had managed to escape his cage. He froze the animals in the room with his ice blast, and they had escaped. Running for their lives, into the forest where they had been stolen from. For three weeks they had eluded the searches of the Team Rocket operatives, even the more recent re-searches of an Otoshi, Lickitung, and Marowak team. They thought that they were safe._

_Then one day, she had accidentally let her guard down. And been caught, yet again._

Jessie stared at the doors of the PersCo building, her blue eyes glowing with hate. Jamie hung onto her arm, quivering from fear and excitement. Her long pinkish ears twitched: through the noise of the street, she could hear them approaching. Jessie hung her head, dreading what she believed was about to happen.

"Jessie?" Zap was standing behind her, with that weird Raichu cousin of hers. Jessie turned around, looking down at the Pikachu. "Jessie, please don't run away again." The Pokemon was so much taller than Zap, she could have easily kicked her into the street. Something held her back--something that had been bred into Pokemon over countless generations that forced part of her to be loyal. Like it or not, Zap was her trainer--technically her owner.

But Jessie was a freak, and Zap didn't know it. How could the young animal possibly care about a freak?

"Jamie, mie, mie," Jamie whimpered. He was still hanging onto her arm."_Don't listen to her, Jessie._"

"_What do we do?"_

_"We have to get away, before it's too late!"_

"Call her back, Zap," Rachael said.

"Right." Zap pulled out Jessie's pokeball. "Jessie, return!"

"_Jessie, no!_"

Jessie didn't move, didn't block the beam as it pulled her back into the pokeball. She just couldn't help it.

"Finally," Rachael sighed as Zap clipped the ball back onto her belt. Jamie stared at her in horror.

Just then, the doors to the PersCo building opened, and out walked a Marowak and Lickitung. They stared curiously at Zap and Rachael as they walked by, and Zap and Rachael stared back. Jamie whimpered and melted into a little puddle behind Rachael.

"Funny," Zap said at the animals rounded a corner.

"Zap, did you notice anything odd about those two?" Rachael's eyes were wide. Zap shrugged. "They, they were wearing Team Rocket uniforms!" 

The puddle at Rachael's feet whimpered.

"Are the searches having any luck?"

"No, sir."

"Have there been any more messages?"

"Just that one from the leader of the Opposition, sir."

The Persian sighed, his chin on the desk top. "Well keep looking. The Opposition's hideout can't be that well hidden."

"Well, sir..." the Porygon sitting across the room looked uncomfortable. "There's a reason that they've been so hard to find."

"What?" the Persian looked up.

"I think... that there are members of Team Rocket, who are also members of the Opposition."

The Persian sat up, sweatdropping. "That's impossible!"

"I don't think so, sir," the Porygon said. "They're doing their best to keep us from finding the Opposition, by stopping us before we even really get started."

"What else can go wrong?" the Persian sighed.

"Well,sir... I have some of my best animals on this job, but I don't know if they can even be trusted!"

"Can I even trust you, Cammo?" 

"Yes, sir. I would rather die than do anything that might lead to your downfall."

The Persian narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps. Since I do believe in your honesty, there's only one thing I can do to keep you honest." He opened a desk drawer and reached into it. Cammo trembled, fearing the worst. "I'm sending you on vacation."

"Va-va-vacation?" the Porygon was sweating profusely.

"Yes." The Persian pulled out a folder and pushed it across the desk. Cammo opened it.

"Plane tickets?"

"Yes," the Persian smiled thinly. "Go out of town, and stay out of town until I send for you."

"But what about your Shadowcat? And the Opposition?"

"I will be taking personal command of the search."

"Are you sure, sir?"

"Very." The Persian waved a paw at Cammo. "You're dismissed."

Cammo was quick to leave. Once the doors had closed behind him, Cammo sighed. "The Boss is so kind! Now I can go to my brother's wedding, and not have to ask for time off!" She hurried off, eager to get out of town.

In his office, the Persian sighed. He looked at the picture on his desk. It was he and Shadowcat, several years ago when he had first gotten her. She was still a Shadowkitty kitten in the picture, and barely as tall as he was.

"I'll get you back."

Shadowcat sat up groggily, looking around the room. She wasn't in that cage anymore, but she wasn't anywhere familiar either. She sensed someone standing behind her, and could see several other animals across the room.

"Alright, Blitz, she's awake now." A unseen voice spoke. She was nudged to her feet, which were tied to the floor. Across the room a Vulpix stepped forward and called out a Pokemon.

"Brock, go!"

"Brrrrock!"

Shadowcat stood, staring dumbfounded at the other Pokemon. It looked familiar, like she had seen it before on one of the monitors the Persian kept in his office.

"Brock, body slam!" the Vulpix shouted at the Pokemon. It jumped at her, knocking her back down. The restraints on her feet pulled painfully. The Ponyta standing behind her sneered, and kicked her shoulder with one of its hooves.

"Get back up."

Swaying, Shadowcat got back up. What was going on?

"Now, use your Reality Alter attack, Shadowcat," the Ponyta said. Shadowcat blinked. A moment passed, and then she looked back at him. "Well?"

"Cat, Shadowcat?"

"I said, use Reality Alter, you stupid Pokemon!"

"Cat!" her ears flattened. The Persian had never called her 'stupid'! These animals were mean. She knew that they were with the Opposition, but how did they expect to her cooperate when they were being so cruel? "Cat, Cat!" Shadowcat sat down, crossing her arms defiantly.

"I think she's still loyal to the Persian," the Vulpix said.

"Then use the serum on her," the voice she couldn't locate said.

The Vulpix nodded and crossed the room. He jabbed a needle into Shadowcat's shoulder.

"Shaaaadow!" Shadowcat squeezed her eyes shut as who-knows-what was injected into her system. After a moment, her vision blurred, and she slumped forward. 

After a minute or two, she managed to get back to her feet at the Ponyta's command. Her mind raced. What had they done to her? She felt lightheaded and slightly sick to her stomach.

"Now, use Reality Alter."

"Shaaaa..." for a moment she hesitated, and then pulled out her quill. "Doohh..." This wasn't right. Her Master would never hurt her. He'd always planned her battles carefully, to make sure she didn't get hurt too badly. And now... She pointed the quill at the Brock.

"Cat!" she shook her head. "Shad, Shadowcat!" _I want my Master!_ Shadowcat swiped angrily at the air. The Brock and its trainer collapsed, as did the Pontya. She ran the quill through the air, but before she completed the attack, something struck her in the back of the head. Shadowcat fell forward, her head striking the ground hard. The quill faded from her grasp as she fainted.

The Sforzando watched as several animals dragged Shadowcat back to her cage. Her head was bandaged, and her feet were bound together.

"What did you do to her?" the Sforzando called angrily as the animals left.

"Shut up, you stupid Pokemon," the Ponyta snapped. The door shut, and the room was dark.

The Sforzando waited, listening as Shadowcat stirred after several minutes.

"Are you okay?" she called.

"My head feels funny," Shadowcat whispered, holding her face in her hands.

"Did they hurt you?" the Sforzando swished her tail anxiously.

"Not really," Shadowcat leaned back and looked at the other Pokemon dimly. "They tried to get me to use one of my attacks--the Reality Alter--but it didn't work right!" Shaodwcat looked suddenly distressed. "I tried to use it against them, but it only knocked out those who were closest to me in the room!" 

"Don't worry," Sforzando said in a soothing tone. "It's probably just because you don't have your trainer commanding you."

Shadowcat sulked, staring at the floor of the cage. "I hate it here."

"You aren't the only one," the Sforzando sighed. She raised her voice, calling over her shoulder. "Who else here hates this place?!"

"Toshi! Toshi!"

"Rrrrock!"

"Steee!"

"Strat! Gist!"

"Jesssiica!"

"Cassy, cass!"

The voices of Pokemon echoed from an unseen distance. Shadowcat's ears drooped.

"Will I be here forever?"

Sforzando stared at the tip of her tail. "Maybe. Seems like it."

"How long have you been here, Sforzando?"

The Pokemon hestitated, clearly uncomfortable. "Forever."

"Forever?"

"Yes," the Sforzando said flatly. She turned her head away from Shadowcat, pointing down the dark row of cages. "There's a Satoshi that's been here for over nine years."

"Nine years? I didn't think the Opposition had been around that long."

"Are you so naive?" Sforzando snapped at Shadowcat, still looking away. "How can a Pokemon be so stupid?"

"I'm not stupid, I just didn't know!" Shadowcat cried. "I'd never heard of the Opposition until last year. It was never a real thing, just something my Master complained about occasionally."

The Sforzando lay down, her shoulders hunched forward. She remained turned away from Shadowcat. "It has always been a real thing for me."

"I'm sorry," Shadowcat whispered.

"Not as I am," the Sforzando returned, and was silent.

"Ooh, why are we doing this, Rachael?" Zap whined. "Team Rocket agents are dangerous, you know!"

"Oh, quit whining, Zap," Rachael hissed. "You had your turn to stupidly pursue, and now I'm taking mine." Zap 'hmph'ed and quietly followed.

Rachael and Zap were trekking down the street, carefully following the two Team Rocket agents that had come from the PersCo building. The Jamie was doggedly following the animals, refusing to leave Jessie, who remained in her pokeball.

"I don't see why your Jessie likes that Jamie," Rachael said as she scanned the crowd they were nearing. "He got my feet wet."

"Bitch, moan, whine," Zap retorted softly. The Jamie snorted.

Rachael was quiet as they continued down the street. They walked for several minutes before turning a corner. This street was quiet, seemingly empty. The Jamie whimpered, hestitating to follow.

"What's wrong with him?"

Zap shrugged. "Got me."

"That's not all you've got, twerp," a bitter voice came from the shadows of a doorway. Two animals appeared.

"Team Rocket!" Zap whispered.

"That's right, kid," the Lickitung said.

"What's with the mice following us, Diane?" the Marowak next to her said.

"You've got me, Ross. Seems like they're asking for trouble."

The pair stepped out into the light. Zap trembled, but Rachael seemed unimpressed.

"Well, what do you want? You'd better have a good reason for following us, kid," Diane snapped at Zap.

"I, I don't want any trouble from you!" Zap said uneasily. "Just leave my Pokemon alone..."

"A simpering little Jamie?" Diane looked offended. "What would we want with that?"

"Besides, you were the ones following us!" Ross crossed his arms. The Jamie stuck his tongue out briefly at the Team Rocket members.

"I wasn't following you, _she _was," Zap said, pointing at Rachael.

"Yes, I was following you," Rachael said haughtily, tossing her ears.

"Well," Ross smirked. "Why were _you_ following us?"

"I was trying to find out what you two were up to, that's what," Rachael said.

"We're trying to find something, what's it to you?" Diane said. "You, who can't even get a stupid Pokemon and bring it back!"

"What?! That isn't true!"

"Oh yeah? Well where is it?"

Zap looked on in confusion as the trio argued. She felt a tug on her tail.

"Jamie! Mie!"

"Huh?" Zap turned around, seeing two figures at the end of the street. "Blitz! Rockie!"

The trio stopped arguing. Diane growled. "Well if it isn't Rocky and Bullwinkle."

Zap ran toward her friends. "You guys, they're from Team Rocket! You have to help us!"

"I know who they are," Blitz snapped. Zap stopped short, realizing that Rockie was holding something in his paw.

"Uh, Rock--" Zap didn't get any further. She yelped and hit the ground as several shots where fired. 

"Diane!" Ross ran over to his partner, who was laying on her stomach in a bloody puddle. "Are you okay?" Diane moaned.

"Take this is a warning, Rocket," Blitz shouted. "You can tell the Persian that he won't be seeing his precious Pokemon again any time soon. We've already begun to use it for our own plans."

Ross growled. Rachael leapt up from where she had hit the dirt.

"Chhuuu!!" Rachael shouted angrily, sending a wave of lightning at the fire Pokemon. They screamed, Rockie dropping his gun as they ran off. Rachael disappeared down the street after them.

Zap sat on the sidewalk, shaken and confused. The Jamie sat next to her, surprisingly quiet. A few yards away Ross had rolled Diane over. She had two gunshot wounds--one on her side, the other on her arm.

"Diane, say something..." Ross said worriedly.

"Cookie..." Diane moaned. Ross blinked, realizing that Diane was talking about her Pokemon, a young Sabrina.

"Diane, you know the Opposition still has her," Ross said softly. Diane winced in pain, her eyes watering.

"Ross, my stomach hurts," she whispered. 

"Don't worry, I'll get help." Ross stood up, looking for his cell phone. Glancing over briefly, he noticed that Zap was still there. "Little Pikachu, why are you still here?"

"I... my friends... Rachael..." Zap shook her head. Ross sighed. He couldn't find his phone.

"Rachael... is a member of Team Rocket. That's all, so don't worry about it and go on home. You don't need to get involved with this." He reached for his Pokeball.

"I already am involved," Zap said softly. Ross sighed again.

"Otoshi, come out!" 

In a flash, the Pokemon appeared. It looked down, seeing Diane. "Toshi?"

"Otoshi, listen carefully to me," Ross said. The Pokemon crouched down in front of him.

"Tosh, Otoshi?"

"Otoshi, Diane has been hurt. She needs to get back to Headquarters. I don't know how badly she's been hurt, but I can't leave her here when more of those Opposition people might show up."

Otoshi looked over at Diane. She was staring up with a somewhat blank gaze, a paw holding the bloodier spot on her side.

"Cookie..."

"Otoshi, I want you to carry her. But you have to be very careful."

The Pokemon nodded. "Shi."

The Otoshi picked up Diana. Ross trailed a few paces behind his Pokemon as they made their way back down the street. They had went almost to the corner, before Ross realized that he was being followed. 

"Otoshi, stop." Ross turned around. Zap stood there, the Jamie cowering and trying to be unnoticeable behind her. "Do you have a reason for following me?"

Zap shifted on her feet. "I... I don't have anything else to do..."

"Mmmmie."

Ross sighed again. Otoshi swushed his long tail restlessly.

"Just don't get in the way. And if you get caught, it's not my fault."

Shadowcat looked around. She could hear a Pokemon moving around in its cage, a few spots down from her.

"I have to get out of here," a voice echoed softly. For a moment Shadowcat thought that Sforzando had said something, but the Pokemon had been silent for several hours.

"Who's there?" Shadowcat called.

"A fellow disposessed Rocket," the voice said. It was closer this time--sounding more like it was in her head. Shadowcat blinked. She recognized the voice.

"Cookie?"

"Yes," the soft voice said. A brief image flashed through Shadowcat's mind: the Sabrina, so young that she had only been able to walk for a few weeks, cowering at the bottom of a cage somewhere in the darkness. "I'm sorry, I usually can do better."

"It's okay." Shadowcat peered out into the darkness. "Cookie, how'd you get here?"

"Much the same way you did, I'd imagine," the Sabrina sighed. "Miss Shadowcat, you have to help me."

"What? How can I help you? What's wrong?"

"It's my master," Cookie said. "She's in trouble. She needs me!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know how I can help you."

"I... I heard you and the Sforzando talking. You..." the Sabrina hesitated. "You know Reality Alter?"

"Yes..."

"Then you can help me get out of this cage," Cookie said.

"Can't you just teleport out of there?" Shadowcat wondered.

"No. I don't have any sort of reference points."

"Reference points?"

"Places to aim to," Cookie said. "I could get out of the cage, but I haven't been anywhere else here. I wouldn't know where to teleport to... I might end up in a wall or something."

"So how can I help?" Shadowcat frowned.

"You've seen the doorway, right? When the animals come in?"

"Yes."

"Well, I haven't been able to see it. But you're a psychic type, and you could project to me what the outside of the door looks like. I need you to use your Reality Alter to turn the lights on."

"Turn the lights on?" Shadowcat said doubtfully.

"I know its primitive, but I'm still learning how to do all this right," Cookie said. "Please, Shadowcat."

"I don't know if I can..."

"Why not?"

"I..." Shadowcat frowned. "I don't know if I can do that attack properly without my trainer."

"You did it earlier, didn't you?"

"It wasn't as effective as I hoped it would be."

Shadowcat could almost see the young Pokemon's thoughtful expression. "That's why you haven't tried to escape, isn't it."

She blinked. "What?"

"You have the power to get out of here, Shadowcat," the Sabrina said. "But you're afraid to try. You think something will go wrong."

"I suppose you're right."

"That's why they kidnapped you now," Cookie's voice echoed. "You know the attack, but are still too insecure to use it against them."

Shadowcat's ear twitched. "That isn't true."

Cookie seemed to gloat. "You're a coward. A prissy, pampered pussycat."

"I am not!" Shadowcat balled her fists.

"She's baiting you," Sforzando's voice sighed from the opposite direction. Shadowcat looked over her shoulder. The other Pokemon was sitting on her haunches, listening to the conversation with a smirk. "She isn't good at psychic whispering yet, but she is pretty good at baiting you, Shadowcat."

"So what if I am?" Cookie swished her dark green tail back and forth a few times. "She has the power to get us all out of here, and she's too chicken to use it."

"I'm not chicken," Shadowcat whispered.

"Then why don't you just do it?"

She loooked up. "Do it?"

"Get us all out of here."

Shadowcat hesitated. "But, my trainer..."

Cookie sighed in frustration. "Then pretend like he commanded you to get yourself out of here!"

"Pretend..." Shadowcat looked thoughtful. "I think I can do it."

"Good!" Cookie looked past her to Sforzando. "Do you want to go to?"

"No, I'll stay here," Sforzando said softly.

"But I thought you hated it here!" Shadowcat cried.

"I do, but I don't remember what it's like outside anymore," Sforzando replied.

"You're... afraid?"

Sforzando nodded silently.

"I'm sorry, Sforzando," Shadowcat whispered. Turning back to the Sabrina. "I guess it's just us two then."

"We're not taking anyone else?"

"We'll have a hard enough time getting out on our own," Shadowcat said. Cookie nodded.

"All right. Let's do it."

End Chapter Three

Okay...this is getting weird. I think I've lost track of what I'm doing...hehe... we'll see what happens next time!


	4. Chapter 4 (end)

Purrfectly Reversed: Chapter 4

Purrfectly Reversed

Chapter Four

Rachael had been chasing the agents from the Opposition for blocks, but now she feared that she had lost them. In the back of her mind, a voice was scorning her.

"_You __**idiot**__! How could you let Zap find out?!_"

"I didn't," Rachael murmured breathlessly. "It wasn't my fault!"

"_Now she probably knows that you're in Team Rocket!_"

"I know, I know!" Rachael kept running, scanning the sidewalk in front of her.

"_You couldn't even steal her Pokemon. What good are you?_"

"It wasn't my fault," Rachael told herself. "That Jessie recognized me! She knew, she _knew_!"

When the reports of the Jessie being spotted in the forest had come in, the Boss had sent out Ross and Diane to find it. Ross had worked on the project several months before, helping with the experiments that were done on the Jamie and Jessica herd. This had all happened just before he was teamed up with Diane, and so she didn't know anything about the experiments. Rachael herself had been Ross's temporary partner. 

Diane and Ross were already out searching for the Jessie when Rachael had gotten the call from her cousin. She'd caught a Jessie while out in the woods. There was no way it could have been a coincidence. So the Boss had sent her to try and get the Jessie from Zap. It should have worked, but the Jessie had recognized her... Rachael remembered the Pokemon retaliating and escaping. 

Now that the Boss's Shadowcat was missing, the Jessie wasn't as big an issue. However, Rachael knew that eventually he would resume looking for it. The Pokemon was too rare-and potentially too unstable-to let escape. Rachael had followed Ross and Diane in hopes that they would be able to get the Jessie off of her cousin. But the Opposition had stepped in...

Rachael stopped, realizing that she couldn't see her targets anymore. She sniffed the air, looking around. There. She spotted the two firey animals as they slipped into a building down the street.

She hesitated, not sure what to do next. It wouldn't be wise to barge into the Opposition's headquarters unarmed.

Rachael didn't have to wait long. After only a minute or two passed, there was a sudden explosion. Rachael was thrown to the ground by the powerful blast that tore the front of the Opposition building off.

Coughing, Rachael rubbed her eyes and got to her feet. Two Pokemon materialized in a flash in front of her. 

"Shadowcat! Cookie!" Rachael cried in surprise. She pointed back at the building. Pokemon and animals were beginning to rush out. "Did you do that?"

"Cat!" Shadowcat nodded brightly. She scooped the Raichu up into her arms and hugged her tightly. "Shadowcat! Cat!"

"We have to get back to Headquarters!" Rachael said as Shadowcat put her down. Opposition members were beginning to come in their direction.

"Brina, na!" Cookie wailed, clinging to the elder Pokemon's leg. "Sabrina!"

"Oh, you know about Diane, don't you cookie?" Rachael frowned at the little Pokemon.

"Naaa!" 

"Well..." Rachael noticed the firey form of a Ponyta escape from the building. "Come on, let's go!"

Shadowcat picked up Rachael, and they ran back down the street. Turning down a corner that led to a shortcut to the PersCo building, they heard a voice calling behind them.

"Wait! Stop! Please!" The voice was strange and distinct. Shadowcat and Cookie stopped.

"Cat! Cat!"

It was the Sforzando. She came running up to the trio. "Please, don't leave me back there."

"Shadowcat, Shad?" the grey Pokemon looked uncertain. "_I thought you were staying._"

"I'm no fool," Sforzando whispered.

"You can come with us," Rachael said. Shadowcat and Cookie nodded, and the group continued on its way.

Blitz snared as he emerged from the destroyed front of the Opposition headquarters. Their boss wasn't happy. Rockie was dead. Blitz pawed the ground, looking up and down the street. He thought he saw something...

"Anna! Felix!" Two Arcanine came running up to the Ponyta.

"Yes, sir?"

"Do you know who's responsible for that explosion?"

"No sir," Felix shook his head. 

"We think it was one of the Pokemon," Anna said.

"Impossible, none of them are strong enough--" Blitz blinked, looking back at the building. "The Shadowcat! Where is is?"

"Gone, sir," the timid voice of a Cyndaquil spoke. Blitz snorted, looking back down the street.

"She must be going back to Team Rocket," he said. "Are there any others missing?"

"A Sabrina, and two Ash. The Sforzando is also unaccounted for."

Blitz frowned. "That Sforzando is dangerous to have on the street. I'm sure its with the others." The Cyndaquil nodded nervously.

The sound of the Police and their Jennys approached from down the street. Blitz sighed and hurried back inside.

There was a waiting party outside the emergency room. Zap and Ross waited to hear of Diane's fate. They weren't alone--Zap's Pokemon were out, as was Ross's. The Otoshi and Cassidy were settled on benches and sleeping. Zap's Jessie and the Jamie were huddled together on the floor.

"I wish I knew what was wrong with Jessie," Zap murmured. The fire Pokemon would not look at her trainer.

"It's hard to say," Ross said, although he had a pretty good idea why. 

"I hope Diane's alright," Zap sighed.

"What do you care?" Ross snapped. "You don't even know her."

"I just don't want anyone to get hurt," Zap frowned, looking at her Pokemon. Cassidy snorted in her sleep.

"It isn't your fault," Ross sighed. "It was mine. I was too careless. The Opposition--"

"I thought they were my friends!" Zap cried. She covered her face with her paws. "I can't believe I let them fool me so easily!"

"You couldn't have known," he said, thinking of the Ponyta and Vulpix. "It's hard to tell who's in the Opposition." Ross looked at the Pikachu for a moment, then shook his head.

"You don't think I'm in the Opposition, do you?"

"No," Ross said, shaking his head again. "You're too young. Too innocent."

"But wouldn't the Opposition be the good guys?" Zap wondered. Ross blinked in disbelief.

"The good guys? Hardly."

"I thought Team Rocket was the bad guys," Zap sighed.

"We are, I guess," Ross said. "But the Opposition is just as bad as we are. They want to get rid of Team Rocket so that they can take control."

"Oh." They were silent for a few minutes.

Zap's ear twitched. "Did you hear something?"

"Hear what?"

Cassidy sat up suddenly, growling to herself.

"Cassidy, shh!" Zap quieted her Pokemon.

"I don't hear anything.." Ross said, but stopped.

"Naaaa!"

Down the hall, a trio of figures appeared. First was the short form of Cookie, followed by the Sforzando. Rachael, now sitting on her Butch's shoulder, brought up the rear.

"Sabrina! Sabrina!" Cookie cried as she ran up to the Marowak.

"Cookie!" Ross jumped to his feet.

"Brina brina brina!" Cookie said happily as she hugged Ross. She set him down. "Na na, Sabrina?"

"She wants to know where her trainer is," Sforzando said evenly.

"You can talk?" Ross said in surprise. 

Sforzando looked insulted. "Of course I can," she scoffed.

Rachael jumped down from Butch's shoulder. "How is Diane?"

"We don't know yet," Ross said. Cookie looked anxiously at the emergency room doors.

"Naaa!"

"You can't go in there right now," Ross said to the little Sabrina. "Diane is getting help."

"Sabrina," Cookie said sadly, and sat down on the floor next to Otoshi's bench.

"Dee!"

"Butch!"

"Dee!"

Butch and Cassidy were growling at each other, their claws beared.

"Cassidy!" she hissed, shocking Butch. He shook it off.

"Butch!"

"Cassidy!" she shocked him again. He blinked.

"Butch!"

"Cassidy!!!" she nearly knocked him off his feet.

Butch got back up. "Butch!" he said, and smacked her cheek.

"Dee!" Cassidy shrieked in surprise, holding her cheek. Her eyes watered. "Cass...."

"Butch." He crossed his arms. Cassidy's expression softened.

"Cassidy cass!" she said, and hugged him tightly.

"Aww, I think they like each other," Rachael giggled.

"At least someone does," Zap sighed. "Rachael, I think something's wrong with my Jessie."

"Aside from the fact that she doesn't want to be your Pokemon?"

"Well, that being the main problem."

"Your Pokemon is worried that you will not want her if you know the truth about her," Sforzando said quietly.

"What does she mean?" Zap wondered.

"I know what's wrong with your Jessie," Ross said. Rachael sighed, looking at her feet.

"What?" Zap looked at him. The Marowak sighed.

"Your Jessie and that Jamie are experiments of Team Rocket," Ross said. "We evolved your Jessie from a Jessica, and gave the Jamie the ability to liquify his form."

"Is this true?" Zap looked at Rachael. She nodded.

"Your cousin and I worked with the experiments," Ross said. "The Jessie and Jamie escaped from here."

"And I found them," Zap said quietly.

"I was sent to get your Jessie from you," Rachael said evenly, not looking up. "That's why she freaked out when I tried to take her that day."

"Oh, I had no idea." Zap frowned. She went over to the Jessie and Jamie. "I'm sorry Jessie. I didn't know."

"Ssie," Jessie mumbled into the Jamie's shoulder.

"Please forgive me Jessie," Zap said. "I'll do whatever it takes."

"Sie, Jessie."

"She said 'then let me go'," Sforzando translated.

"I..." Zap shook her head. The Jamie gazed at her dully. "I can't let you go, Jessie. But I can promise you that I won't seperate you and your Jamie."

"Jessie..." Jessie lifted her head and looked at Zap. She hesitated. "Jess?" Jessie turned her head. They all looked to see the doors to the emergency room open. 

There stood the resident Nurse Chansie, with a jittery Joy standing behind her.

"How is Diane?" Ross asked.

Chansie smiled. "She's going to be just fine. We were able to sew her up without any problems."

"Joy joy!" the Joy echoed, her bright pink tail swishing happily.

Ross smiled. "That's a relief. When it first happened, I didn't think she was going to make it."

"Well, she's very lucky. The bullets didn't hit any major organs," Chancie took chart from the Joy and read it.

"How long will she be in?" 

"A few days," Chancie said. "Just to be sure." Ross nodded, then looked behind him. Cookie stood there.

"Brina? Brina?" she looked at Ross, and then at Chancie.

"You can go see her, Cookie," Chancie said. "I'm sure Diane would be very happy to see you!"

"Sabrina!" Cookie stepped over Ross and went into the emergency room.

"Be careful, Cookie, she's still hurting," Chancie called after the Pokemon.

"Cookie?" Diane said softly as Cookie sat next to the Lickitung's bed. Diane's arm was bandaged, and her stomach was covered with gauze and other bandages.

"Brina brina na?" Cookie said cautiously.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Diane smiled. "I was worried that the Opposition had hurt you."

"Naa," Cookie rested her chin on the bed. Diane moved her free arm and patted the Sabrina's forehead.

"I missed you so much, Cookie..." Diane's voice trailed off as she noticed that Ross had followed Cookie into the room. "Ross?"

"Yeah, it's me," he said, standing next to the bed.

"Chancie said I was shot," Diane said softly. "But I don't really remember. Rachael and the Pikachu had followed us... but I don't remember what happened after that."

"The team leaders from the Opposition ambushed us," Ross said. "You got hit. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she smiled. Ross covered her paw with his own.

"I was worried that you weren't going to make it," he whispered. "If you had died... it would have been my fault."

"No, Ross, I'm okay now," Diane assured him. "I'll be back on my feet in no time."

He forced a worried smile. "I know." His eyes were wet.

"Ross, don't cry," Diane said.

"I'm... I'm not crying," Ross said, turning his face away.

"Na!" Cookie prodded his arm.

"Cookie, stop it!" Diane scolded the young Pokemon.

"Sabrina," Cookie harrumped. Ross smiled faintly, wiping at his eyes.

"I'm just glad you're okay," he said. Diane smiled.

"Thank you, Ross." 

He sat staring at a large computer screen. The image of a winged Pokemon was visible, with a few stats. After a moment it flicked to another image, going through a series of seven before stopping and returning to the first image. The Persian sighed, looking away from the screen.

"The greatest treasures of the Pokemon world. And yet they mean nothing without..."

"Shadowcat?"

The Persian blinked, sitting up. Had his ears fooled him?

"Who's there?"

"Shadowcat!" He heard the familiar voice, and a familiar set of quick footsteps approaching his chair. A large grey form loomed over him, and the Persian was quickly pulled up into a hug.

"Shadowcat! You're here!" the Persian cried in surprise.

Shadowcat squeezed her master tightly. "Cat cat cat!"

The Persian gasped for air. "I'm happy to see you too, but put me down!"

Shadowcat sat on the floor, depositing the Persian in his chair.

"How did you get back here, Shadowcat?"

"Cat, Shadowcat!" she picked up a drawing pad that had been left under the desk and scribbled something down. "Cat!"

The Persian looked at the images drawn by his Pokemon. "You used Reality Alter... and made an explosion.. and came back here?"

"Shadowcat!" she smiled and nodded. After a moment's thought, Shadowcat added another figure to the paper. The Persian looked at it and frowned. The image showed a bird, its wings covered in fire.

"You think they're going to retaliate?" the Persian looked toward the window.

"Cat." She nodded.

"Blitz, I want to know what the hell is going on down there," a steely voice said.

"You know as much as I do, ma'am," the Ponyta said. "Several Pokemon have escaped, including the Shadowcat and Sforzando."

"And your partner is dead?" the voice was emotionless.

"Yes," Blitz looked down.

"Well, you'll have to control both teams in the Fire division for now." The firey head of the Moltres turned toward a computer screen. Her blue eyes flashed briefly.

"What are we going to do about the Shadowcat?" Blitz asked.

"Destroy it."

"Ma'am?"

"The Shadowcat is not going to be of any use to us," the Moltres said. "I want you to take the teams down to the PersCo building. Destroy the Rocket's headquarters, and make sure that the Shadowcat is destroyed too." She looked at the screen again. "We have something better than her now anyway."

"Yes, Lady Magdaline," Blitz nodded deeply. "We'll go immediately."

The Sforzando watched as Ross emerged from the emergency room. He seemed to be blushing. She tilted her head curiously, but didn't say anything.

Ross went over to Rachael. "We need to talk to the Boss."

The Raichu looked up. "About what?"

"The... status.. of the experiments." The Jamie snorted. Zap looked at her cousin uncertainly.

"You can't take them," she said.

"We won't," Rachael promised.

The Sforzando looked nervously between the animals. "What about me?"

"I..." Ross looked thoughtful.

"She doesn't have a trainer," Rachael said softly.

"I did before I was stolen," the Sforzando said.

"Who was your trainer?" Zap wondered.

"A Furret named Fiona." The voice came from behind them.

"Huh?" Sforzando turned around. A longed bodied animal stood there, looking a bit concerned. A short Misty stood behind her.

"Sforzando?" the Furret said cautiously.

"Fiona!" Sforzando cried, dropping to her knees and hugging the Furret.

"What are you doing here?" Sforzando said.

"After you were stolen, I joined Team Rocket," Fiona said. She saw the marks on her lost Pokemon's arms. "Did they hurt you?"

"Sometimes," Sforzando said softly. Fiona's eyes watered.

"I'm sorry!" she cried. "Can you forgive me?"

"I never blamed you," Sforzando said. "Do you still want me?"

"Of course!" Fiona wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Stee stee!" the Misty chirped in a squeaky voice.

"Thank you," the Sforzando smiled.

"I just love happy endings," Zap said in a wistful voice. 

And then, the hall shook.

"I don't think things are over just yet!" Ross shouted.

The building shook again, and a siren sounded somewhere down the hall. 

The Persian ran to the window in time to see a third volley of explosive fireballs slam into the first floor of the PersCo building.

"Sir, we're under attack!" the voice of his secretary called from the doorway.

"Obviously!" 

"Cat! Shadowcat!" She stomped her foot anxiously.

"Come on, it's time to put you to the test," the Persian called Shadowcat into her pokeball and ran for the door.

"Come out, you cowards!" Blitz shouted at the entrance to the building. In response, lightning streaked from the entrance and struck the closest Opposition Pokemon. The James screamed in pain as it hit the ground. 

"Hit them again!"

Two Blaines and a Jessica shot their fire blasts at the entrance. A wash of sooty water counterattacked the attack. Blitz growled.

"Shockwave!"

An Otoshi and a Brock leapt forward and released a large blast of energy. It blew the windows out up four floors. Screaming could be heard. Blitz smiled.

"Keep it up! We're gonna flush them all out!"

"Naaa!" Cookie wailed as she followed the crowd up to the roof. She was doggedly trailing the Joy that was pushing Diane's wheelchair toward the elevator.

Three floors down, Fiona and Sforzando stood in front of the broken out windows. The others had continued down, and the fighting had flushed out onto the streets.

"We have to help," Fiona said to Sforzando. The Pokemon looked down at the street below.

"I... I don't really know how to fight," Sforzando admitted. The building shook again, and they felt a rush of hot air. "You should use your Misty, not me."

"I believe in you, Sforzando!" Fiona said. "Please fight."

Sforzando hesitated, her fingers clenching the cloth of her recently acquired Rocket cloak. She opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a strangled cry. Electricity filled the room, and the building shook hard. Fiona screamed, covered her eyes.

"Fiona!" she heard the Pokemon's voice call out in alarm. The Furret opened her eyes, just in time to see Sforzando tumbling out of the window. She ran forward, but Sforzando had already fallen out of reach.

"This is crazy! What is the Opposition trying to accomplish?!" Zap screamed as a blast of electricity filled the air. They were half-hidden by a fallen sign.

"They're trying to destroy us, what does it look like?" her cousin shouted back.

"I'm not part of Team Rocket! I didn't ask for this!"

"I don't think they really care!"

"Look out!" Ross pulled Zap back. A large form hit the ground and lay motionless.

"Sforzando!" Rachael whispered. 

"That's it, I'm sick of hiding!" Ross growled. "Otoshi, go!"

"Toshi!" Otoshi ducked as he materialized, avoiding a blast of fire.

"Otoshi, use your Shockwave against the Opposition!"

"Toshi!" the Otoshi leapt forward and disappeared into the melee.

"Where's the Boss and his Shadowcat when we need them?" Rachael cried.

"I don't know, but we're going to have to fight until they get here!" Zap threw two Pokeballs. "Jessie, Jamie, go!"

"You caught the Jamie?"

"Sort of," Zap said. The two Pokemon followed Ross's Otoshi.

The fighting continued for several minutes, Pokemon and trainers falling on both sides.

And then, finally, two figures emerged from the building. Fiona rushed past the Persian to her Sforzando, who was still unmoving on the ground.

"Sforzando! Wake up, please!" Fiona cried. "I don't want to lose you again."

"Let me help," Zap said, standing next to them. She put her paws on the Sforzando's chest and gave her a small shock.

"Do!" came the pained cry. "Stop that!"

"Are you okay?" Fiona leaned over her Pokemon.

"I'm not dead," Sforzando coughed, rolling onto her side.

"You fell out of a window, I'm surprised you're alive," Fiona whispered.

"I'll be okay," Sforzando said.

The Persian moved out from the mild protection of the building front. Blitz motioned from the Opposition side, and the fighting slacked off. By the time the Persian had cleared his side of the street, the fighting had stopped.

"Have you come to surrender, Persian?" Blitz shouted.

"I won't surrender to the likes of you," the Persian snarled, releasing Shadowcat from her pokeball.

"Shadowcat!" she cried, annoyed at having been put in the ball.

"Well then we'll just have to destroy you, and your Pokemon," Blitz said. He motioned vaguely. A Satoshi stepped forward. Almost in response, Ross and the others moved behind the Persian. Shadowcat growled at the Satoshi, who snorted and stomped his foot.

"Fool," the Sforzando muttered, standing next to Shadowcat.

"_What are you doing?_" Shadowcat whispered.

"Helping," Sforzando said softly.

"Satoshi, Take Down!" a trainer from the Opposition called.

"Shadowcat, counterattack!"

The Satoshi leapt toward Shadowcat, who ducked and rolled aside. The Satoshi changed direction, knocking Sforzando to the ground.

"Cat!" Shadowcat spun around the Satoshi and struck him down with her Quill Drill.

"Sfor...." the Sforzando pushed herself back to her feet. She clutched her stomach for a moment, then moaned in pain. Sforzando began to glow. She blinked, and then smiled as she realized what was happening. Her ears turned into wings, and wings sprouted from her ankles. Her tail turned white and grew much longer, splitting in half at the end. Her mane turned white as well, except for the front, where silverly-blue bangs seperated. The blue and gold Rocket cloak stood out in sharp contrast against her pearline white skin.

"Sforzando evolved!" Fiona whispered in awe.

The wings on the new Sforzi's feet stirred slowly, and she hovered several feet off the ground. She smiled down at her trainer, her brown eyes flashing gold.

"Thank you for your love," Sforzi said. The Furret smiled, tears in her eyes.

"_You look very powerful,_" Shadowcat said. Sforzi floated beside her.

"I possess great powers, yes, but nothing compared to your Reality Alter," the Sforzi said meekly.

"_My Reality Alter is strong, but will it be strong enough?_" Shadowcat frowned, looking at the Persian.

Sforzi's eyes scanned the Opposition trainers that were surrounding them. "It will be strong enough."

"_How can you be so certain?_" 

"I will help you," Sforzi said. She looked at the Opposition again. Nineteen trainers and their Pokemon surrounded the group. Much of Team Rocket had retreated. The Persian stood fast. Fiona the Furret stood with Rachael, Ross, and Zap. They were flanked by Rachael's Butch and Zap's Cassidy. Zap's Jessie and the Jamie were too injured and had retreated.

"They're going to use Hyper Beam," Sforzi said softly. "The others should retreat. They might be harmed." Shadowcat nodded. She looked behind them.

"Cat! Cat! Shadowcat, cat!" Shadowcat called. Butch and Cassidy looked at each other.

"Cassss," Cassidy nodded. The two Pokemon began to retreat. After a moment's hesitation, Zap and Rachael followed suit.

"You should go too," Sforzi said to her trainer.

"No," the Furret shook her head. "I haven't been there for you in a long time. I want to be here now."

"You might be hurt," Sforzi frowned.

"I don't care," Fiona said. "You've been through a lot worse, just to help us now." Sforzi considered this, then nodded. She turned, facing Shadowcat.

"I am ready," she said softly. Shadowcat nodded, and stood in front of Sforzi. They faced the Opposition.

"Are you ready to surrender, Persian?" Blitz's voice called from the line.

"I will never surrender," the Persian snarled.

"Then you will die, along with the rest of Team Rocket," Blitz said. He turned to the other Opposition members. "Let's do it. Hyper Beam now!"

Nineteen Pokemon began to glow around them.

"Sforzi, Synthesis!"

"Shadowcat, Reality Alter!"

Sforzi held her hands at her sides, and they began to glow. Shadowcat pulled out a long quill.

"Shadow-cat!"

"My power is yours!" Sforzi cried. She brought her hands together. The light shot from her hands, and struck Shadowcat in the back.

"Cat!" Shadowcat's eyes went wide. The quill disappeared from her hands.

Around them, nineteen hyper beams shot toward Shadowcat. 

She flung her hands open.

And the beams froze, all less than a yard away from their target.

"Amazing," the Persian whispered.

The moment seemed frozen. They were surrounded by a mass of angry golden light. 

Shadowcat's hands shook. Her eyes were still open wide, and she seemed to be in pain.

"Cat!" she closed her hands into fists. The light disappeared.

There were loud cries of disbelief from all around. The Opposition's Pokemon fell to the ground, weakened by the attack. Sforzi landed heavily behind Shadowcat, having given all her energy up. Shadowcat trembled, looking down at her hands.

"Cat, Shadowcat?"

"You will leave us now," the Persian called loudly to the Opposition.

"Don't think that this is over," Blitz growled.

"It is for now," the Persian said softly.

"Oh, Sforzi, are you okay?" Fiona whispered. 

"I will be," Sforzi replied softly. Her winged ears tucked up tightly, and her eyes slid shut.

The Persian watched the members of the Opposition retreat, and then turned to Shadowcat.

"Is your Reality Alter permanent now?" he asked.

"Cat?" Shadowcat looked at her hands. She shrugged. The Persian smiled.

"It will do, for now."

Two weeks passed. Zap and her Raichu cousin sat on the front porch of Zap's home. They watched their Pokemon scramble around the yard, mock-fighting. Rachael sighed. It was her first day home since the confrontation.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through all that," Rachael said.

"It's okay," Zap said. "I think some good came out of it."

"How's that?"

"Well, that Sforzando evolved. I got another Pokemon. My Cassidy and Jessie don't fight--" she winced as Cassidy tripped Jessie. "--as much."

Rachael watched as her Butch pulled the Cassidy back, as Jessie spat a small fireball at them.

"Do you think anything will come of them?" Rachael said, smiling.

"Maybe." The Jamie snuck behind the Butch and Cassidy, pulling the Butch's tail before running back to Jessie. Zap cleared her throat. "So, what happened with Team Rocket?"

"We moved back to the Viridian Headquarters," Rachael said. "We're trying to keep a low profile while the Boss starts on a new project."

"New project?"

"Special Aquisitions," Rachael said mysteriously. The Pikachu laughed.

"You sound like Bones," Zap said.

"How is he?"

"Fine," she said. "A little confused about my explanation of what happened, but he's okay."

"Boys," Rachael sighed and shook her head. After a moment she tilted her head toward Zap. "So, still don't want to join the team?"

"I think I'll leave Team Rocket to you," Zap said.

"Suit yourself," Rachael shrugged. "But I guess you're always welcome with us."

Zap considered this. "Do you think that the Opposition is really gone?"

"No," Rachael shook her head. "They're just working on a new plan. And so we have to too."

"I guess that's where that 'Special Aquisitions' project comes in, huh?"

Rachael smiled faintly, looking back out at the Pokemon. "Perhaps."

End Chapter Four

The End...or is it?


End file.
